Plant · GBIF taxon 5414521
Plymouth gentian
Sabatia kennedyanaAlso known as Plymouth Rose Gentian, Kennedy's Rose Gentian
Plymouth gentians light up sandy coastal plain pondshores every midsummer with large, bright pink blossoms featuring yellow centers trimmed in white. These perennial plants depend on natural water level fluctuations to clear competing woody vegetation and expose wet shorelines where seeds can germinate. Their fragmented distribution across Atlantic coastal wetlands makes each localized population a critical conservation priority.
Coastal PlainPink FlowerWetland Plant
1 / 7—observations
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Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil Nutrients
Predators
- Herbivorous Insects
- Snails
- White-tailed Deer
ThreatsWater level manipulation, shoreline development, trampling
HabitatsCoastal plain pondshores, sandy or peaty wetland margins
Life spanPerennial
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyGentianaceae
- SpeciesSabatia kennedyana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for 8 to 12 rose-pink petals arranged around a bright yellow star-shaped center along open, sandy pond margins.
- Support conservation
- Observe and photograph from established paths, avoiding stepping into the soft, saturated shoreline vegetation.
Responsible observation
- Optimal Season: Visit coastal plain pondshores between July and August when the showy pink blossoms reach full bloom.
- Habitat Protection: Stay on established trails or dry upland buffers to prevent damaging delicate stolons in saturated soil.
Co-occurring Flora (c) Bernadette Kavanaugh, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Co-occurring Flora (c) Doug McGrady, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Habitat Companion NoahElhardt / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Theo Summer · cc0
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